Official statement on Morrocan Leila islet
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 7/16/2002

Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, who held this Monday a press conference on the case of the Moroccan Mediterranean Islet of Leila read out the following statement:

"The Islet of Leila has always been part and parcel of the Moroccan territory. History is indeed full of facts evincing that the Islet is Moroccan territory. After the signing of the Moroccan-Spanish peace treaty of 1860 (which does not mention at all the islet of Leila), there were some Spanish incursions in the islet that were counteracted by Sultan Hassan 1st, as testified in the letters sent by the Sultan Hassan 1st to the Pacha of Tangiers on 26/11/1887, 28/09/1888 and 25/11/1892.

The territory was liberated in 1956, at the end of the Spanish protectorate over Morocco's northern area. Since then, Moroccan security forces have been present there until 1970. Starting from this date, they were deployed there, every time it was necessary, according to the security requirements in the region.

The islet is located at the feet of the Moussa mountain, 150 meters away from Moroccan land, 4 km to the west of Sebta and 40 km east of Tangiers. It extends over 13.5 hectares and is 300 m long. It is a barren and uninhabited rock used exclusively for goat breeding by the Moroccan population of the Moussa mountain.

The islet is included in the Moroccan territorial waters, as they were delimited by the decree 275 311 dated 21/7/1975 determining the geographic coordinates delimiting Morocco's territorial waters.

The Spanish land survey register has also delimited by ministerial decree, published in the official gazette, the Spanish protectorate zone in Morocco on 24/01/1949, a bordering area extending between Sebta and the rest of the Moroccan territory. This area called, Sebta natural zone (Zona natural de Sebta), does not mention the islet.

Furthermore, the Spanish decree N. 267/1976 dated 5/03/1976 on the delimitation of Spanish maritime spaces in the Mediterranean does not make any reference to the Islet as Spanish territory.

Even more, when the Spanish had projected in 1986 to include the land of Leila within the municipal territory of Sebta, Morocco had officially reacted with Spanish authorities with a verbal note in January 1987 and the mention has been since then abandoned.

It should be recalled that the two countries' legal instruments on the delimitation of their respective maritime space have been duly registered at the United Nations secretariat general and have therefore been notified to all the member-states of the organization.

Therefore, the Leila islet is not part of the pending dispute between Morocco and Spain over the two Moroccan northern enclaves which are still under Spanish occupation. The presence of a reduced number of Moroccan security agents in the islet does not constitute in any way a modification of the said dispute data.

Surveillance measures undertaken on July 11, 2002 in the Leila Islet are part of the exercise of the Moroccan state sovereignty on its national territory. They are part of the fight waged by Moroccan authorities throughout the Moroccan territory in general and in the Gibraltar strait in particular against drug trafficking, illegal immigration and other lawless activities.

Therefore, there are no other interpretation than the simple surveillance operation in a sensitive area where common interest commands increased vigilance, particularly in the present circumstances.

The Kingdom of Morocco remains resolutely attached to the fundamental principles of international legality and particularly the defense of territorial integrity of all countries.

Our country equally renews its deep attachment to the provisions of the Moroccan-Spanish joint declaration of April 7, 1956 and to the 1991 friendship, neighborliness and cooperation treaty.

The Moroccan government continues to wish that Moroccan-Spanish relations be based on sound and constructive foundations and on mutual respect and remains convinced that a frank, open and serene dialogue is still the best means to build together the future of these relations."

Previous Stories:
  El Pais: Morocco wants to use Leila Island to fight terrorism   (7/15/2002)
  Moroccan fm cites moves by Morocco and Spain to end political lethargy   (7/10/2002)
  Morocco and Spain in permanent contact to overcome crisis, Spanish official   (7/9/2002)

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